PHILIPSBURG:--- On the initiative of its President, Mr. Stanley Lint, and Vice-President Mr. Benjamin Ortega, the Board of the Sint Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI) has recently commissioned the drafting of a “Strategic Plan 2020”. The presentation of the document is scheduled for October of 2018, and will cover the development of the COCI into 2020 and beyond.
The “Strategic Plan 2020” will be the first comprehensive strategic vision document since the early days of the COCI. As such it marks a major step forward in the development of the organization and establishing its identity as a major institution on St. Maarten.
Lint and Ortega explained that the main reason for their initiative is to jump-start the COCI’s development towards becoming a “Self-Operating Chamber of Value” and outline the roadmap towards that objective. “As COCI, it is our duty to bring more value to our membership and the community of St. Maarten in general.”
“We will pursue this goal primarily by providing Thought Leadership for the benefit of the development of the business sector, economy, and society of St. Maarten”.
“The first step in this process was issuing the working paper on the temporary reduction of interest rates to boost the economy in the wake of Hurricane Irma”, Lint and Ortega said. “As COCI we will continue to periodically present quality publications, in order to encourage and support positive developments in policy-making and business development”.
Lint and Ortega added that the “Strategic Plan 2020” will also be the basis for optimizing the functioning of the COCI, based on the needs of its membership and partners. “In addition to being the official registrar of businesses on St. Maarten, we are first and foremost committed to increasing and improving the services to our members and being accountable to them. This starts with going out and listening to business owners, what their needs and ideas are, and turning this feedback into concrete action. An example is the recently re-launched Business Orientation Program, and more initiatives are scheduled for the near future”.
According to Lint and Ortega, in preparation for drafting the “Strategic Plan 2020”, input is being sought from the Staff, Management, and Board Members of the COCI, as well as from current and potential partners on St. Maarten and in the region. Also, relevant regional and global developments, business opportunities, and “best practices” are being researched, which will be incorporated in the document. These internal and external assessments are essential in order to ensure that the final document will reflect a broad-based, inclusive, and realistic roadmap for the COCI’s development.
Lint and Ortega stated that, once published, the “Strategic Plan 2020” will offer the community of St. Maarten, as well as foreign investors and other entities, a clear, transparent, and comprehensive overview of the COCI’s ambitions and added value as one of the leading institutions and catalysts for economic development on St. Maarten.
“The COCI looks forward to successfully implementing the “Strategic Plan 2020” in cooperation with its membership, partners, and stakeholders, as we are convinced that using the document will allow us to serve them even better. On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Executive Director Anastacio Baker and his staff for their efforts and continued dedication to taking the COCI to the next level in its development”, Lint and Ortega concluded.
http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/29921-st-maarten-chamber-of-commerce-and-industry-worked-on-strategic-plan.html
